Global Village House Descriptions: 2012-2013

African Cultural Traditions Overview
The African Cultural Traditions Program's participation in the life of the Global Village
and the Living/Learning Center has three main goals: (1) to offer students a sense of the richness
and variety of African cultures, (2) to provide an introduction to different topics in current
African affairs, while also highlighting historical antecedents that have shaped present African
issues; of particular interest will be issues addressing environmental, agricultural, health,
technological political and cultural realities of African nations; and (3) to serve as a resource for
students who might be exploring the possibility of enhancing their educational experience at
UVM by attending a program of cultural immersion in an African country. Through its residential
component, the program offers students shared experiences and an opportunity for
participation in the exploration of Africa's incredibly rich and diverse cultures. The program
promotes interactions between participating students and Africans or Africanist scholars in the
UVM and greater Burlington communities.

Canada House Overview
By becoming part of the Canadian House, we will learn about the culture of Canada and
come to appreciate the unique aspects that are often overlooked. We plan to look into Canadian
politics, current events, relations with the United States and the world, and pop culture; looking
for an understanding of what Canada is like for individuals. Similarities and differences between
Vermont and Canada will be investigated, from our common history of immigration to the
production of maple syrup and love of hockey. Overall, we will gain a general knowledge of
Canada, and feel for the cultural as it was in history and is today.

Caribbean House Overview
The Caribbean House is a program that will educate UVM students and the community on
Caribbean culture. Throughout this program, we will learn of the different festivities, art and
music that is present in the Caribbean. This program welcomes all individuals of different
backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, where everyone will be able to share their traditions and
cultures. This will lead to a greater appreciation of diversity that is present throughout the
world.

Casa Italiana Overview
Casa Italiana will provide an introduction to different aspects of Italian culture with a
special focus on Italy's traditions, language, and contemporary every-day life. Students in the
Italian house will enjoy a unique learning experience in which the rich culture of Italy will be
explored through a variety of activities. Although language is encouraged to be an aspect of the
program, there is no requirement that members speak the language and we expect and are
excited for there to be variation among speaking levels in the house. The only requirement is a
genuine interest in Italian culture!

Casa Luso-Brasileira (Portuguese House) Overview
Portuguese is one of the world's fastest growing languages; as the next World Cup in 2014 and
Olympics in 2016 take place in Brazil (a Portuguese speaking Country), interest in Portuguese
has risen exponentially. In addition to the sporting events, Brazil has one of the fastest growing
economies in the world. Portuguese is spoken in eight countries, spanned across four
continents. Over the last few years, Portuguese has become popular among students at UVM.
The Portuguese House works very closely with the Romance Language Department to share
ideas and get the word out about Portuguese. The continuation of the Casa Luso-Brasileira
program will further explore the cultures of all eight countries with Portuguese as an official
language. Participants of the program will take away extensive knowledge of the cultures that
speak Portuguese from historical origins, social structures and pop culture. One of the goals of
this program is to explore the various Portuguese cultures through themes like: food, music, and
news.
Portuguese is a beautiful romance language that often goes under the radar when
compared to Spanish, French and Italian. The overall goal of the program is to not only share
Portuguese with the participants of the program but also to the L/L and UVM community.

Chinese House Overview
The Chinese House has been a Living and Learning Center program since the fall
semester of 1998. It provides a living and learning place for students who are interested in
Chinese culture, especially those who are also interested in studying Chinese language. It is also
a place where American and Chinese students can come together after class to have
extracurricular activities that help to enrich their experiences with Chinese and American culture
and to reinforce their Chinese and English language learning, with the assistance of language
faculty members of the Chinese Language Program at UVM and visiting instructors or scholars
from China.

Deutsches Haus Overview
The Deutsches Haus Program has been designed to provide students the opportunity to
deepen their understanding and appreciation of the German language and culture in ways not
commonly possible in a traditional classroom setting and timetable. Through a program of films,
discussions, guest lecturers, group meals, excursions, festivities and other cultural and social
activities, an environment is created in which German is not only encouraged but becomes a
medium of expressing the students' personal interests. In the past, the Deutsches Haus has
proved to be both a good preparation for study abroad in German-speaking countries as well as
a means for students to retain fluency upon returning to UVM.
With the aid of the faculty program director, students can reinforce language learning
and share their experiences and knowledge of German culture. Deutsches Haus residents
traditionally have identified personal and social aspects - the group spirit and the quality of life
in the suites - as being among the strongest features of the program.

Japanese House Overview
This Japanese culture and language residential learning program is designed for
students eager to study Japanese culture and/or language in mutual teaching and learning
activities. Its major goal is to explore Japanese culture through shared activities. Use of the
Japanese language in suites and during program activities will be encouraged but not required.
The residential component of the Japanese House is open to all UVM students who are currently
studying or who have studied Japanese culture and/or language and also to students who have
native or near-native fluency in Japanese and are willing to share their knowledge and skills.
The extra-residential components of the Japanese House encourage participation by all
members of the UVM community and of the local Vermont community who wish to share their
interest in Japan, especially including visiting and resident Japanese nationals. Basic to this
program are the convictions that the best way to learn is to teach others and that experience is
essential to the learning process. Program activities are guided by participant interests and are
made as enjoyable for all as possible.
The program members are expected to interact with other Global Village members to
share different cultures for better mutual understanding.
Japanese House Program residents are encouraged to take Japanese language courses
at the relevant level.

Korea House Overview
The members of Korea House will embark upon an exploration of the unique and
exciting culture that is Korea. Members will develop a broader understanding, defining
elements of Korean culture such as: music, language, social issues and history. Individual
members, guided by their own particular interests, will bring a magnified look at specific aspects
of these cultural elements. We will share the products of our cultural cultivation with others
through events of various designs and magnitudes. From the celebration of a timeless autumn
harvest festival, to an exhilarating dance party with the latest moves and tunes from Korea, we
will seek to grow a dense and beautiful garden of knowledge. It is the goal of this program to
explore this blooming cultural phenomenon in a way no L/L program has done before!

La Maison Francaise Overview
Students who are studying French language, literature and culture in an American
setting need opportunities to speak the language outside the classroom, to develop the use of
the language in their everyday lives, and to enrich their understanding of the contexts of
Francophone culture.
The Living/Learning Center offers students a community based on their interests in Francophone
language and culture, in which they make French the language of their everyday activities. A
student resident organizer will lead the group. Residents of the French house will agree to use
French exclusively for a specified portion of the day. The French house will also be the center
for many activities based on Francophone culture which are available in or close to Burlington;
films, lectures, contacts with French speakers throughout the University and city community,
visits from experts on the Francophone developing world, visits to Quebec, theater, music,
museums, television programs and reportage. Participants in the French house will improve
their fluency and gain a greater familiarity with issues in contemporary Francophone
experience.

Russian House Overview
The primary goal of the "Russian House: An Introduction to Russian People, Culture and their
Society" course will be to present our first-and second-year students with a broad overview of
Russian cultural, social, political, and historical topics covering Russian, Soviet, and, now, Post-
Soviet Russia at the beginning of the 21st century. Members of the German and Russian
Department, as well as faculty from the Russian and East European Studies Program, will give biweekly
lectures and slide presentations covering a variety of historical and cultural topics
pertaining to Kievan, Muscovite, Romanov, Soviet, and contemporary Russia. The goal at all
times will be to present students in the Russian House with a general introduction to a broad
range of cultural, historical, social, and political topics related to a 1000-year history of Russia.
In order to build upon Russian language skills acquired in the classroom, Professor McKenna will
hold a "Russian conversation hour" each week of the semester to assist students with
"everyday" aspects of the language (linguistic etiquette at the dinner‐table; Russian pen‐pal
correspondence; Russian scrabble and monopoly; Russian jokes/anecdotes, etc).

School of Athens Overview
The civilizations of Ancient Greece and Rome are incredibly influential to the world and how it is
today. The School of Athens is for students interested in learning about these civilizations and
the roots of the present day. One goal of this program is to bring Ancient Greek and Roman
culture, language, and mythology to the greater UVM community. Because the Classics
Department is very small, we will branch out to the students, faculty, and community to share
and receive knowledge about these great civilizations. The Classics Department at UVM
describes the Classics as being "the original and quintessential liberal arts degree. The field is
inherently multidisciplinary and provides access to a cultural continuum spanning over three
millennia up to and including the present day." We believe that the importance and influence of
the Classical world is so pervasive in our culture andit should become a more prominent
presence in the wider L/L and UVM communities. Another goal of the program is to be a line of
support, mentorship, and encouragement for those interested in the often difficult field of
Classics via tutoring and educational events. Although UVM already has a Classical Club, we feel
that meeting for one hour a week to watch classically inspired movies is not at all adequate to
meet the intense needs and passions of those interested in the Classics. Our program will strive
to give a deeper and more meaningful experience to everyone involved, and that it will create a
sense of "living and learning" about the Classical world rather than interacting with it from a
purely academic standpoint. We also feel that the Classics is often thrown to the wayside in
modern education, even though it is the oldest and most venerated major, the basis of all liberal
arts educations, and the origin of the modern fields of: law, philosophy, literature, medicine,
history, and even science and mathematics. Our fundamental goal is to "live the Classics" by
hosting fun and engaging activities within L/L, hopefully allowing our program members and the
L/L community to experience and re-imagine Classical studies as vital and useful in our modern
lives, and that our appreciation of that influence is central to the understanding of our world
and ourselves. Delving into the life of the Classical cultures provides the best medium to gain
that crucial appreciation.

Spanish House Overview
Spanish House is a dynamic program designed for students in the Spanish program or those
who have studied abroad and are interested in reinforcing their knowledge of this language and
related cultures. Members of the program will participate in a variety of events focusing on
themes related to the Spanish-speaking diaspora, including dinners, shows, movies, etc. These
activities are meant to create a sense of community for the members of the House and also
share aspects of the language and cultures with the Global Village members and the University
at large. We also sponsor a variety of activities including lectures, film series and the annual
Hispanic Forum, all of which are open to the greater Burlington community. By participating in
the program, members will have a great opportunity to improve their language skills while living
in a supportive environment. Members of Spanish House are thus required to have a minimum
proficiency in the Spanish Language, since it is expected that Spanish will be spoken in the
program suites. Thus, a requirement to be selected to participate in the program is to be
enrolled in a Spanish course during the first semester of living in the House.